Technology, Homestake vital to future

April 03, 2007

South Dakotans need to focus on the positive. The closed Homestake gold mine site in Lead is still a front runner to host the National Science Foundation's Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory, despite the late re-entry of two proposals from Minnesota and Washington. Gov. Mike Rounds said, "We're still the inside favorite." Let's all hope he's right. The DUSEL project has the potential to generate billions of dollars in experiments in the years to come - and those dollars will begin circulating in South Dakota. Scientists, administrators and support staff will move here, new business will likely grow up around the lab, all that is fabulous for economic growth in the state. Over the course of the last year or so, South Dakota has made some significant financial investments to make the site ready and attractive for the deep underground laboratory. Last year, the NSF narrowed down the site applicants to two: the closed Homestake mine and the working Henderson mine in Colorado. Both applicants received $500,000 to put together conceptual design reports. However the process just slowed down a bit because the University of Washington complained to the NSF that its proposal was unfairly eliminated; NSF subsequently agreed to open the next phase of the process to any U.S. college or university. The deadline for submissions was Jan. 9; both the University of Washington and the University of Minnesota tossed their proposals in the ring with Homestake and Henderson. It's a fly in the ointment, no doubt. Still, one must remember that these latecomers were already ruled out once, and South Dakota was already a finalist with strong credentials that just recently became even stronger. Thanks to an $8 million financial "start up" gift from the Aberdeen-based Great Plains Education Foundation, South Dakota will soon have the equipment it needs to connect us to the national Internet-3 system. I3 is a high-speed communications network, widely regarded as crucial to making Homestake a viable option for the underground lab. It is important for the lab - and other research institutions - to have because it enables large chunks of scientific information to be accessed and delivered much, much more quickly than the regular Internet. South Dakota owes a debt of gratitude to the Aberdeen-based Great Plains Foundation. Board of Regents president and Aberdeen resident Harvey Jewett, who sits on the foundation board, said "Great Plains was formed to make a real difference in the education environment in South Dakota." He went on to explain that the investment was an important one because I3 is a research backbone intended to help transport huge blocks of data. "We just felt this is something South Dakota can't take a pass on," he said. "It was just something we thought South Dakota has to do - and do now." He was exactly right. Keeping up with technology is a must if South Dakota is to win this prize. The winning team will get up to about $5 million annually for the next three years to continue developing its plan. News reports indicate that if DUSEL construction is funded by Congress, work could begin in fiscal year 2010. That really isn't so far away. South Dakota is - and should - forge ahead with plans to begin reopening the Lead mine, creating an interim laboratory at 4,850 feet underground. Rounds maintains that the state should proceed as if Homestake will be the chosen site. That's a good plan. Let's just make sure that we - meaning both the Legislature and the public - continue to support these plans in every way possible. We should also be sure to fully appreciate organizations like the Great Plains Foundation that have the vision and the wherewithal to invest in our future.